Wichita eagle., 1887-04-22
ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
TIMES WHENG UERRlLLAS MADE LIFE
UNPLEASANT ON STEAMERS.

UNPLEASANT ON STEAMERS.
Confederate Partisans Fishing for Fed
eral Gudgeons-Steamboat Passengers
Under Fire-How the Robbery OF a
Widow Was Peremptorily stopped.
One of the amusements of the period was
to take run on steamer up to Cairo. 1t
was generally an exciting amusement. The
banks were haunted by guerrillas, who some
times carried with them a six pound gun,
and who quite often made life on the steamer
unpleasant They were skillful fishermen,
these guerrillas: they angled for Federals, and
they employed the most tempting bait. One
of the forms Of bait used was cotton. A
boat pushing along the stream would spy
half dozen or a dozen bales Of cotton piled on
the bank, and would at once steer for it with
q view of buying it if there was an owner, or
cribbing or "coniscating" it if nobody was
in the vicinity The steamer would run
alongside. throw out the gangplank, and get
ready to tie up to some tree, when there
would suddenly be heard shrill yells, a vol
| ley OF mus I:etry would follow, and whoop-
| ing crowd of butternuts would board the
| boat, "go through the safe and the passen-
gers, take everything valuable and portable,
| and then decamp.
| Many Yankee gudgeon bit at this cotton
| bait. and was hooked beyond rescue In time
| the cotton hunter grew more cautious He
edged very gingerly toward the tempting dis
play; he came up, just touching the nose of
the boat to the landing without throwing
out the gangplank, so as to be ready to sheer
off at the slightest sign Of danger. One has
often seen wary trout thus approach a
tempting worm ready to turn tail and scud
away in case of anything suspicious or the
sign of a hook in the appetizing appearance.
There were bends in the river where the guer-
rillas could lie concealed until the boat was
within close gunshot, and were able to send
in half dozen volleys before the imperiled
craft could get out of range. One day, be-
tween Memphis and Cairo, the Hillman was
proceeding leisurely up the river without any
suspicion of danger. A passenger was seated
in the BARRIERS chair being shaved, when a
cannon suddenly opened on the boat. The
first ball killed the barber and passed on
without in the least interfering with the GUS
toner.
PASSENGERS UNDER FIRE.
On such occasions there was little to be
obtained in the shape of provision for safety.
Everything about steamer was SO frail that
in place of being protection the upper struct-
ure really added to the danger from the flying
splinters. About the only thing available
was to lie fat on the floor with the head or
feet toward the direction of fire so as to ex-
pose the smallest possible portion of tho form
to the missiles of the guns. While lying there
the roar Of the artillery, the yells of the Con-
federates, the crash of the shot through the
woodwork, the noise of tearing timber, the
momentary expectation of being skewered by
a long splinter or being bored through longi-
tudinally with round shot, were anything
but pleasant. 1t seemed to the passenger
hugging the floor and trying to make him
self into a compass not larger than a knitting
needle that the boat was an eternity in getting
away from the locality. 1t was time when
the swiftest boat on the river apparently
made no better time than that CT the slowest
of snails
Boats plying on the river were subject to
visitation at every wood yard The officers
expected these visits and prepared for them.
They would leave few hundred dollars in
the safe for show, and the remainder of the
money they would hide in the mattresses.
When boarded by guerrillas they would open
robbers would take the cash contents, satisfied
that they had secured all the available plum
der Many Of the boats were captained by
Confederates, fact which was known to the
bushwhackers, with the result that such boats
were not disturbed or were occasionally halted
and searched as a matter of show for the bene
fit Of the galleries.
recall one instance in which the robbery
H. 0tl cid he plott Nafln
was conveying a company of new troops
down the river when, at a point between
Cairo and Memphis, the boat made a landing
to get some wood. There lived in little log
house at the point widow with four sons
all of whom were in the Union army, with the
entire sympathy of the mother The valorous
recruits swarmed ashore and went through"
the premises Of the old lady in brief time
Every chicken, egg, bit of meat, everything
edible, including pigs and calves, and any
thing and everything in the house which
attracted the fancy of the raiders, and which
could be eaten or sent home as a trophy, was
gobbled up and carriedrpn the boat.
WEAK COMMANDER
The captain of the company tried his best
to restrain the men, but while well inten-
toned lie was weak He was from the same
locality as his men, and many of them called
him by his first name instead of his title, and
apparently had no respect for him.
The officers of the boat offered such objec-
tions as they dared, and the old lady stormed,
wept avowed her Union sentiments, and as.
serted that this fact and that she had four
SONS in the Union army should protect her
from ruin by the northern men. 1t was all
useless The men laughed at her, and scoffed
at the claim that she was Union woman.
The boat was about to cast off the lines, and
the Old lady was reluctantly being forced
down the gangplank, when suddenly clear
voice was heard above the clamor:
@Captain, form ysur men in line!"
The voice was clear, penetrating, and filled
with imperative suggestions. There was a
quick cessation of the uproar. Everybody
turned 10 look on the speaker He was
slender man in citizens clothing, stranger
whom nobody knew, of commanding appear
ance, and a stern face. whose firm lips and
deep, flashing eyes showed intense earnest
ness.
"Fall in. men!' came from the captain after
be had glanced at the stranger. The men did
SO at once. and then all looked at the stern
civilian.
@Consider your company under arrest, sir!
Let every article taken from that woman be
returned without an instant's deiayT
The soldiers hesitated a single moment.
Quick march, there, now!7 rang out from
the civilian, with an impatient stamp of the
foot. IS he noticed the hesitation. At once
the men moved out, and ashore, deposited
their plumber, and sneaked back sheepishly on